PS3 Folding

[Sledgehammer70]

Has anyone seen any info on the PS3 folding? I know they were working on a client? if anyone knows let me know, I want to put my PS3 to the test :)

[Oriane]

Yes. (http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost158489.html#158489?sid=ddefe5b3bc2093f8be26b5f0a2786462)

In short, the client isn't released yet. There is an NDA as to why- but my understanding is that the reason is not technical. It looks like simply "soon".

[Sledgehammer70]

Sweet! Can't wait to try this bad boy out to see what kind of folding power it has :)

[SPIKE09]

One of the [H]ardocp guy's has his PS3,folding using the Linux client and yellow dog linux I believe.

[Oriane]

Plenty of PS3 Linux stuff (http://linuxps3.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=32)

Also FYI (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Murphy/?p=744). This one hints as to how the Cell processor concept may impact us all soon.

Overall, they conclude that the next generation cell product needs minor hardware change to scale efficiently for double precision work, but that the first generation is already between 3 and 60 times faster, and between 10 and 200 times more power efficient, than its competitors - numbers to keep in mind when you think about Apple's triumph in arranging to get dual core Xeon CPUs from Intel for only slightly more than than four times the $89 Sony is estimated to pay for an 8+1 cell at 3.2Ghz.
They're also numbers to keep in mind when thinking about next generation supercomputing. Terra Soft is mainly focused on biosciences applications and Yellow Dog Linux works now, but the real bottom line on the trade-off between cell's programming complexity and its performance potential is simply that we're a just language breakthrough from everybody's supercomputer being a rack of cell processors


I think something to note from all this is that the PS3 Cell will likely perform best with the client that is designed & optimized to take advantage of its ability. I would trust it would be the one Stanford will release for the system. As of this post there is still no word.

[SPIKE09]

I've seen Hint's that they may be holding the PS3 client back until the European release. I think it is all speculation though.

[Oriane]

I've seen Hint's that they may be holding the PS3 client back until the European release. I think it is all speculation though.

>bump< (http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/01/25/ps3/index.php)
^
Given the speculation, I thought this might be news. PS3 may have 30+ titles during launch period. Personally, however, I'm a bit frustrated and this reasoning makes little sense. What would make more sense to me is that Sony has enough to iron out on its plate than to pile on Folding@Home right now ... but I honestly don't know.

[SPIKE09]

This actually came up today at the FCF http://forum.folding-community.org/viewtopic.php?t=17724&highlight=
to quote scott From: @PlayStation.Sony.Com
Date: January 24, 2007 2:31:36 PM CST
To: scottwaugh <scottwaugh>
Subject: Re: Quick question


Hi Scott,

Thanks for your interest. We're very close and hope to have the client available for download in early spring - perhaps March - but I can't confirm that 100%

-----
Sony Computer Entertainment
US Research & Development
http://research.scea.com




scottwaugh <scottwaugh>
01/22/2007 02:35 PM


To: SCEA RD/R&D/SCEA@Playstation
cc:
Fax to:
Subject: Quick question



Hello,

I was wondering when the Cure@PS3 (Folding@Home) client that Sony is
developing and showed off last August, was going to be released?

Even if a hard date can't be given, an idea would be great (weeks,
months, years etc).

Thank you,

Scott

[Oriane]

Hmmmm. From the same thread came this tidbit:

Possible other issues? (http://www.ps3blog.net/2007/01/24/foldinghome-for-ps3-early-spring/)

150MB client? Slow download speeds? Sounds like they are either still working on the client or someone is fueling the rumor mill.

Very curious.